RUSTON, La. -
Louisiana Tech wrapped up its first full week of spring workouts as the team practiced for just under two hours Friday afternoon at Joe Aillet Stadium in preparation for Saturday's scrimmage.

Working out in just shells (helmets and shoulder pads) for a slightly less time than normal, the team continued to show intensity on the field as the players added a level of physicality to the practice session. Anxious to make hits and big plays, the physical practice was done in preparation of the team's first spring scrimmage set to take place Saturday, March 23 at 9:30 a.m. at Joe Aillet Stadium. That scrimmage, along with all spring practices and scrimmages, is open to the public.

"It was a pretty good day," head coach Sonny Dykes said of Friday's practice. "It was a competitive practice although I thought it got a little chippy at times. We have to do a better job of taking care of one another - we have guys hitting late and that kind of thing. We need to be a little more disciplined but I like the way our guys are working. I thought we were a little flat offensively. I noticed that at the beginning of practice and it carried through but we just have to grind through that tomorrow. We'll see how these guys play tomorrow in a scrimmage situation."

The defense jumped on a flat offense early and often and controlled the pace of play during the team period when the players battle 11-on-11. IK Enemkpali led a first team defensive line that continuously gave pressure to the quarterbacks while Javontay Crowe was often the first player in blue to put his body on somebody.

It appears as if the team has continued its fast pace of play with the confidence from last season where the Bulldogs won seven consecutive games and earned an invitation to the Poinsettia Bowl.

"This year the team has a similar attitude as last spring but there is a little bit more competition," said rising redshirt senior wide receiver Quinton Patton, a 2011 Biletnikoff Award Watch List honoree. "Our confidence is always going to stay high but we will always have the mentality of needing to prove something on the field."

Leading the offense this spring has been rising redshirt senior Colby Cameron at quarterback, where his confidence and command of the game has also not changed since the end of the 2011 season. Cameron entered the Utah State game in late October, sparked the team towards a Tech victory and then guided the Bulldogs to six straight wins as a starter.

"Like all of our quarterbacks, he has made some mistakes here and there but the biggest difference in him is his confidence is higher and decision making is a lot quicker," Dykes said of the Bulldogs' signal caller. "When that happens, it allows him to get rid of the ball quicker which allows receiver to catch the ball quicker which gives you more catch and run opportunities. That really changes your offense just by your quarterback making quicker decisions."

Louisiana Tech will scrimmage Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. at Joe Aillet Stadium then will have the weekend off before returning to work next Monday, March 26, at 4 p.m. for the team's seventh of 15 spring practices.

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